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Dave’s Picks Volume 3 Looks Back to Fall ’71

While the Grateful Dead have only looked back to their Fall 1971 tour on two previous archival releases (Dick’s Picks Vol. 2 and Road Trips Vol. 3 No. 2), you can now count the just-announced Dave’s Picks Volume 3 as the third in the lineup. In Fall 1971, pianist Keith Godchaux was embarking on his first tour with the Dead, and, from the outset, his drastic impression on the band’s sound can be heard.

Dave’s Picks Volume 3 features the complete October 22, 1971 concert from the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago on two discs, with the addition of a third disc culled from the previous night’s performance at the same venue.

Coming only one year following the release of Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty, the show features a mix of old and new (for the time) songs including “Tennessee Jed,” “Jack Straw,” “Mexicali Blues,” “Ramble On Rose,” “Comes A Time,” and “One More Saturday Night.” But the highlights of the box set come in the form of a 29-minute version of “That’s It for the Other One,” as well as a spectacular “Dark Star” from the previous night on October 21.

The 3-CD set has been mastered to HDCD specs by Jeffrey Norman from the original vault reels, and the eco-friendly Digipak includes a booklet with an essay by Blair Jackson about the show and photos of the interior of Chicago’s historic Auditorium Theatre.

Head over to Dead.net for pre-order info and to check out tracks from Dave’s Picks Volume 3 along with a video from Dead Archivist Dave Lemieux where he discusses his favorite moments from the release.

Seriously? When are we going to see some ’80s releases? Is there a show from the ’70s that has not been released at this point?
Scarlet/Fire from Red Rocks ’83?? The Other One from Utah ’83?? ANYTHNG from the early ’80s?? How about cleaning up that Lewiston, ME 80 show??
180 discs from Europe ’72 WASN’T enough??? I’d say that era is covered for at least another 5 years via that one release alone.
Good grief.

Seb June 20, 2012, 19:50:08

Well, I for one am thrilled. Keith is obscured in the mix with some of the other ’71 releases, so this is precious and important to release. The seventies were THE years for the Dead. Keep ‘em comin’.

dave June 24, 2012, 17:57:06

Ted, I hear you about more 80s releases…there are, however, a bunch of DP, Road Trips, Download Series, and other releases that cover the early 80s as well as the later 80s. I’d say the majority of the demand is more for 70s Dead, though, and well… ask and ye shall receive. The crew releasing these are doing it to make money, so they have to release what they think will sell the best.
That said, however, the Other One from this show is definitely smokin’ hot. Not as good as 8/14/71 or even 2/14/70, but still a scorcher all the same. And it is nice to have one of Keith’s first shows in such quality.
“When I die, bury me deep,
put two speakers at my feet,
a set of earphones on my head
and always play the Grateful Dead.”